**14. Conclusion and recommendations**

Preschool education and care are viewed from various angles, touching on some subjects like historical perspectives, preschool education models, philosophies and methods, curriculum and assessment, teacher and carer roles, family involvement, quality standards, challenges and opportunities and future directions. Early childhood education and care greatly influence young children's social, cognitive and emotional development. Improved academic and social-emotional outcomes for children are among the advantages of high-quality preschool education and care. Nonetheless, there are obstacles to excellent preschool education and care, such as a lack of financing, access and possibilities. Future directions include new developments and research in early childhood education and care, such as the application of technology in the classroom and the contribution of preschool to reducing performance gaps. Fostering an atmosphere that promotes play-based education and family engagement is essential to delivering high-quality preschool education and care.

## **Acknowledgements**

The knowledge gained would not have materialised if my supervisor, Professor Dipane Joseph Hlalele (Department of Educational Psychology, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa), had not taught me well to benefit from what I am practising. I thank the following in academia: Dr. John Appiah (University of Cape Coast, Ghana), Dr. Francis Raymond Ackah-Jnr (Griffiths University, Australia) and Dr. Blanche H Ndlovu (University of Free State, South Africa). The staff of the College of Distance Education, University of Cape Coast, Mampong Centre, Ghana), Staff of Mampong Municipal Education Office, Mampong – Ashanti, Ghana) and Mr. Gabriel Antwi (Regional Director of Education, Sunyani, Ghana).
